Unseen Darkness: Dark Times and Desperate Measures
by Kage Davies
Summary: ha, Finnally managed another chapter :)
1. Chapter One Prologue

Um, well, this is my first attempt at writing fanfiction, and it's a little different. I first started writing it with a friend of mine but not so long ago we decided that writing together wasn't and option any more. This might be why when looking around the net you may come across a fic with the same title or a few of the same basic ideas. Some of these are his, but I won't put his name up because I don't think he'll be happy about it.  
  
This is my first shot, it'll probably take some editing yet, and the chapters could be subject to change  
  
I don't own Eva, please don't sue me, I have no money.  
  
**********  
  
The Wreckage of an Enemy base, 6:30 pm  
  
The once tightly run base was in ruins, and yet it still crawled with people. The churned snow was scarlet with blood and corpses littered the ground, many savaged beyond recognition. The workers at the site had been wiped out, and not in the most painless way, it seemed. The S.A had to clear up and do it damn quickly; the press would storm the place by morning and there is only so long a group of exhausted soldiers can keep back the hordes of reporters, some of the most persistent creatures known to man.  
  
These were early stages of what was referred to simply as the Wars. They were never given a significant name like the ones before them, or even the ones after, there was none fitting. Whatever the Enemy losses at this base there had inevitably been S.A ones too, although many more than Firelli would have liked to admit. His soldiers were poorly trained and he knew it, but they were arrogant and the Ministry demanded action of him, and so he had complied. This little escapade seemed to have a desired affect though; the soldiers were disheartened by their losses, rather than elated at their triumph, a lesson to be learned quickly if, as had been predicted, these minor squabbles between the Enemy and the S.A. escalated.  
  
The Enemy also had no name, the people against them had no wish to give them one. Unlike all the legends no one recalled to them as the 'Forces of Darkness' or 'Foot soldiers of the Devil' which may have something to do with the fact that the S.A. really had no idea what they were fighting anyway. The press had deemed the S.A. invincible, and had so convinced of this that they had forgotten over time that during the previous conflicts that had led to creation of the organisation over half of it had bee wiped out.  
  
The sound of chopper blades disquieted the desolate place as the casualties were shipped out and back to the main base, the blades sending snow whirling as they changed the air currents. The air became clogged with the smoke from fires used to burn the enemy corpses so that the press did not consider this a massacre and discredit them already.  
  
The base originally had been the proposed site for the Enemy head-quarters, but they had hit snags in the weather that come in from the mountains and when digging into the caves on either side had encountered solid rock faces and poisonous gases given off from the break down of various elements over time. This venture into the sides of the mountain next the base had been cut short and sealed off as soon as the dangers had been realised, regardless as to whom was inside.  
  
The plans had then been abandoned, and the base had been left for a while, half constructed. When the Enemy Lord had been replaced, his predecessor had realised what a true waste this had been. The old buildings still held half finished computer systems, it was discovered, and had been built to utilise the better facilities of it's time. Despite the fact that these were quite old now technology wasn't progressing very fast and work started immediately. It was quickly reinstated as a research faculty, detached as it was from their main base and 'accidents' that happened could be swiftly dealt with, with the damage contained in this one area. It became obvious that the S.A. had worked out they were there, but when, after months of vigorous watching, they still took no action, the Enemy decided that they really weren't a threat at the moment.  
  
The new ruler of the enemy showed extreme interest into the Project set up by the Ministry in an off limits sector. It seemed to be having visits from various demons he'd not seen before, and he wanted to know why. The activity seemed to be centred around an underground facility, built mostly in a natural sphere opened under the earth's surface. He was incredibly impressed by their superior technology, safe in knowledge that neither they nor the S.A were in a position to follow suit.  
  
Immediately after making this discovery he ordered the capture of one the major scientists involved in the E project. He wanted to know it's implications and results, facts he couldn't find because of the impressive hacking guards placed on the main computer system, which controlled the whole base and most of the fortified city above it. Because the planet was located under an off limits sector, it's entrance was heavily guarded at all times when it wasn't closed. Many failed attempts were made to get through, but this soon drew attention to the fact he wanted to get in rather badly, and the guard was doubled. When the leader was sure there was no way he could get in through the only official entrance, he contrived to find a way of doing it in the safety of one of his own bases. Because the creation of remote entrances without an official seal or the knowledge of a very old and powerful mage, he posted the job to his detached research base, here.  
  
Only a year later, with the help of a few hundred scientists, soldiers and dubious mages, he succeeded in his task. Using a theory that was formulated by a rather eccentric scientist he was acquainted with, a theory based on nothing but good will and the hope of success, the set problem was solved. They waited until the first synch test with the creation known as 'Unit 01'. Using the excess of energy used by its start up system they created a borderline rift, and pulled both the pilot, creator of Unit 01 and head of the E project through the gap. The ruler had what he wanted. He wished to use surprise against his unwilling guest and make her feel at home, comfortable and convince her that indeed, he was only interested in helping her find her way home, and in failing that help her achieve the main success of her original project.  
  
Here he hit a snag. He had not though of the fact that the Ministry may implement their own agents into their project to control the environment that they had created and report to them on how it was progressing. And now here he was faced with one. The woman he had pulled through was indeed a powerful figure in the project, but she was also a ministry agent and a S.A member. She was not fooled by his lies or his fake hospitality; she would not talk by any means used and in the end he allowed the researchers at the faculty to use her as guinea pig for other tests they were running. He planned that they would try again for him, but was disappointed when Unit 01 was not reactivated again in any of the time that followed for then until now, when his base and all it's resources were taken form his hands.  
  
The woman, however, was still there, after six months of hellish abuse from various scientists. She had no idea what they did, they had no intention of telling her, which might have had something to do with the fact they knew about as much as she did what the effects of the cocktail of various chemicals would be.  
  
Indeed, had they stopped to think about it, they'd probably have recorded that too, for unknown to them it would have been something of invaluable use in the future.  
  
As it was, the woman was still there when the S.A attacked the base months later. She was lying on the bed in the cell where they kept her, when the attack began. The room was feature less, the walls were bare and solid white.  
  
In fact there were so few features that in the end she's scratched a mark on the wall by her head to stop herself going mad at always wondering if they brought her back to the same room. A stupid concern, she thought, as it was. But then, there was little else to think about at all. There was nothing to do in between sleeping, tests and eating, and nothing to help her feel the void that tore at her heart. At the very begining she'd thought it was all a dream.  
  
But she was a practical woman and the thought didn't last long. For a while after that she clung tightly to the hope that there was someway to escape and go home. That hope had drifted away after the first couple of months. She realised there would be no rescue party. The labs had arranged it so the Ministry would indeed believe she'd died inside of Unit 01. All in all, she decided, it was very well planned. Not that this was a good thing in any way at all.  
  
Therefore she was surprised when she realised that indeed the base was being attacked, and who else to do it but the S.A? She didn't flatter herself to think it had anything to do with her. As an agent she was invisible, if anything happened her records were deleted and all Ministry knowledge was denied. As she listened to the sounds outside, even muffled as they were by the thick walls, she wondered what the faculty had done to warrant such a sudden attack. Then she thought about it and realised it probably hadn't done anything, that the public had pushed for attack and so the S.A had moved to attack the quietist place they could the one with the last resistance. She ached to be outside among the attackers. She was a shifter by nature, and being cooped up against her will was a torture all on it's own. She sighed as she realised that the months of inactivity had probably left was little skills she had wasted away.  
  
She countered whatever boredom she had left by listening intently and seeing if she could recognise the owner of each of the voices outside. She had little luck though, she'd not spoken to anyone in the S.A. except for Firelli for a long time.  
  
After a while the noise changed. The screams of pain died away, and any loud noises or machinery moved away. Boredom settled in again as she lie there, unable to move as she was strapped to the bed. The drugs they used sometimes caused fits, and the last thing they wanted was to lose their subject because she'd cracked her skull on the concrete floor. She waited for an hour or more, time was indefinite as she was, before she heard anything else. There were voices close to the outside of her door. With surprise she recognised Firelli's voice.  
  
She'd had to report to him weekly on her part in the project, as she couldn't report directly to the Ministry in case of being traced. For a moment she wondered why he was here, then decided that boredom had undesirable effects on her brain capacity. The commander shouldn't really lead his soldiers in such minor things, but then the S.A had fallen into such ruin that it all made sense in the end. He often kept her up to date with the happenings of the world she'd left behind, and the two often spent hours chatting, despite regulations.  
  
The door opened, but it was the wrong end of the bed, the one behind her head. Firelli came in quietly, and looked at her, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Sharply he dismissed the orderly who was accompanying him. There was a moment of retaliation, and the other man protested about the commanders safety. Firelli gave him such a scowl that he left at once, in rather a hurry, and closed the door behind him. He turned back to the bed and the scowl evaporated.  
  
"Yui? That is you, isn't it?" he removed the band of cloth that had improvised a gag when they felt she might make too much noise. She stretched the muscles in her jaw experimentally before replying;  
  
"Yeah." She looked at him quietly.  
  
"You're lucky, you know that? If they'd have moved you..." He trailed off as he bent over the bed to remove the straps that held her in place. Very slowly she sat up on the edge of the bed and the world began to spin. She had no energy to move. This was another means of preventing escape, as they had no idea of the side effects of the drugs they were using. "Uh well, maybe I'm just a lucky person..." She shrugged. "If that's so, then why are you here in the first place?" he raised a questioning eyebrow.  
  
"Eh heh..."  
  
***  
  
As expected the press arrived in the early hours of the morning. By this time however the site had been cleared. The bloodied snow was swept away and melted down, the corpses all gone and all the signs of the struggle had been purposefully placed, because if there were none at all the public would be suspicious of a cover up anyway. When the reporters pressed in and demanded to know how it all went and just how the enemy had been destroyed, Firelli described events in fabricated detail, making it all the more believable with exaggerated hand motions and expressions. He'd spent the time before hand learning body language implications, he thought it might help.  
  
The news teams were not convinced though, they shouted cover-up from the roof tops, demanding to know were all the base personnel were, and hadn't the S.A started with more troops that this? What had been burned so hastily in those fire-pits you're trying to hide with leaves and old snow? Where were the injured, surely there were injured? Was it true that the family members of the deceased had been notified only this morning?  
  
Yui stayed as far away from the horde of reporters as possible. She'd borrowed a spare uniform from one of the choppers that landed yesterday to remove the soldiers who had not died, and was trying to keep in the back ground. After eating rather more than she should and sleeping for a while she felt a whole lot better, and would rather be walking around than being cooped up in some room in bed anyway. She had declined the offer of a lift home in a chopper, insisting she'd rather make her own way home, she needed to stretch her muscles anyway.  
  
The reporters, however, were not a complying as they could have been, and kept making attempts to get through the barrier of heavy duty vehicles around the perimeter. One, equipped with a stolen uniform and a hidden camera managed to get into the central building, but he didn't learn much anyway because the soldiers were so dispirited they didn't want to discuss with anyone the previous night's events. The original ground crew were quickly replaced as the research centre was swiftly and methodically stripped of anything of any use, of which there was quite a bit. This was were they needed Yui the most, having no idea what most of the equipment was used for.  
  
A lot of it was damaged beyond repair and had to be taken apart, as much to gain single components as to prevent anyone else using it in the future.  
  
There was no one else here that Yui recognised. Despite being registered as a member of the S.A she had spent very little time stationed at their base and definitely not long enough to get to know anyone well enough to remember them all this time later. Everywhere was cold, winter was settling in fast. The mountains on either side of the site were enough to keep put the most violent, biting winds. Which was, she supposed, one of the main reasons the Enemy head-quarters had been planned on this site.  
  
Heavy machinery did not like the cold, but then neither did the main parts of the Enemy army. Orcs died like flies in extreme weathers, hot or cold. Which was why the S.A main base itself was positioned in the harsh extremes of the Homeworld, Orcs could not take the cold, and neither could the majority of the demons, they liked fiery heat. The place crawled with ice age creatures, the huge plains frequented by Mammoths and hunted by Sabres. Some fantastic creatures were borne out of the cold, the giant, short faced bear and powerful ground sloth. Hardened to the toughest conditions they were not afraid of the humans that had seemingly invaded their world.  
  
They showed no hesitation in hunting them, like any other creature, chasing them like any other creature, eating them like any other creature. There were no tame parts of this place. To the south of the Great Mountains was Sabre country, to the north the land held by the wolves, and Wolf Helm, the Place of Shadows. To the east lay the Forest, that extended almost to the ocean, integrated into which lay Tanon Bain, the huge city, that housed people from all the races of the planet. The Entrances lay there too, trade routes into the other dimensions, which made the city thrive. To the west lay the S.A main base, not overly large, or even hidden away anywhere. There was a handful of patchy forest, that was not all too old at all.  
  
The Academy was there also, the training ground for hopeful youngsters who wished to make it into the S.A forces. Not that it was hard to do anymore, though. The Academy was out in the open, very clearly in site, for the simple reason that it gained so much press attention what was the point of hiding it away any more? It was openly along one of the trading routes, and although it boasted huge defence systems, it was doubtful if they worked any more, or even if they did that there was anyone left who know how to work them.  
  
It was well into the afternoon of the same day that the S.A finally finished the clean up job and set fire to the base. There was no point leaving it because the Enemy could just well come back and begin all over again, and there was even less point using it themselves because they'd be so venerable to attack it was laughable. Better to gut the place and leave only a charred shell to fragile to be used properly again.  
  
The last of the ground crew packed up to leave as Yui watched the blaze light up the sky. There were no choppers left to come pick them up, and there was much annoyance at the thought of making their own way home. The reporters used the last moments of film recording the blaze and set off also, many carrying extra passengers. The soldiers were so untrained it was almost funny, most of them still hadn't achieved a swift re-adjustment to four legs that was vital in had to hand or long distance travel, and most were reconsidering their places as part of the organisation, or at least re- training.  
  
***  
  
The flames finally began to settle into various contained pockets of heat, the air filled with acrid ash from places where the burning had stopped as the strange wind swirled it in all directions like a gigantic cloud. The Enemy leader watched all this through the live video feed that the news- reporters relayed back to their various channels.  
  
He refused to become angry, because when that happened he tended to waste valuable resources by destroying them. He watched calmly as dreams he built up over the years collapsed among the smoke, and he began to plan revenge. It began, as most plans do, as a mere thought, a tiny spark, that flickered and niggled at his brain and demanded his immediate attention until he gave it. When he gave his attention to something, he focused with an unimaginably intensity. In fact, once he'd started to sketch down the beginnings of this plan, he didn't stop until his first officer appeared almost silently beside him and cleared his throat.  
  
"Yes?" He raised his eyebrow in an expression that read clearly this had better be good or there's be trouble. The kind of trouble you don't come back from. "Sir!" The man saluted, but when he regarded his commander's face he continued hastily "The technicians have deciphered the data dump from the computers from the research faculty. The one they sent as they were invaded." His leader regarded him and for a moment he thought he could feel his master's mind brush at the edges of his own. His legs turned to liquid at the though of being mentally searched, and almost collapsed with relief as the man answered.  
  
"Tell them to send it to my computer, I'll read it later." The man turned away. However enlightening, or not, it may be to pick information out of the man's brain like so much meat off of a bone, he had more important things to do. The officer decided that this was the closest to a dismissal he was going to get, and left hastily. He, like every other sensible person, was not one to stay in his master's company for any more time than was necessary.  
  
There are many kinds of 'evil', ranging from the mildly mean to cold mass murderers, all of which could be found here at the base to some degree. The first officer was a mean/perverse kind of evil, the type that most first officers were considered to be. It was, traditional. He, predictably, took pleasure in torture, in watching his most hated enemies dies slowly, painfully, at preferably his own hands. He was partial to alcohol, but was not an alcoholic, and was not often seen other than sober. He was also partial to women, in which area he was not so reserved. The Enemy had few female employees, and they all had one purpose. Their leader was decidedly of the point that there was no better way to break down a woman's defence, and a somewhat larger percentage of the S.A employees were women. As opposed to his first officer, his leader was a cold/calculating kind of evil. The kind of evil that knows no reasoning, no compassion, no mercy, not even towards it's own allies, unless something is to be gained.  
  
If there is a business kind of evil, then he was this, the kind that does nothing for anybody except themselves unless a suitable amount is to be gained. There was a reason for this man's evil, but he was too far gone to ever go back. He would always spend his life calculating against others, right up until he died, of old age or other, maybe for the better. This was not a man you could imagine going senile, he was far too sharp. He had abilities that as a rule were not rivalled. He was a mind reader, a mage, a shifter, and many other things besides, and he was elite in all things. Unlike the general psychic population, he did not study a specific area, he decided to specialise in all of them. A brilliant strategist, a powerful adversary, he rose through the ranks not because of family name or heritage. He made his own way. And as the last traces of ash were swept away from what had once been the epicentre of his research, he planned his revenge...  
  
***  
  
The leader slipped out his base under cover of that evening. He had been busy all day, reading into all the files that had comprised the data dump, and trying to make sense of them. They were scrambled almost beyond repair during the transit, and he'd had specialists in to rewrite them for him.  
  
As he left the base he noted silently that the moon was not yet rising and he was going to be making good use of the 'black hour' between sunset and moonrise. where there was no light source in the sky. With no light there was not even the chance of reflective eyes giving him away. He was in wolf form, a large dark creature. His fur, disappointingly to him, was not all black, but varying shade of brown, but in the darkness only some one with superior night vision would know this anyway. He travelled for a long time, and he didn't stop until the first sign of moon rise. As a level 11 plus psychic he was perfectly capable of teleportation, but travelling 'straight' was a lot more exhilarating, and anyway teleportation was very draining, mentally and physically.  
  
He was standing on the other side of the mountain range that contained his ill-fated research base. The sliver of the moon that showed above the mountain peaks was shedding silver light that reflected again from the snow. A low mist hung a few inches above the ground, but it did little but obscure his view of his own paws. The air was still, the wind had dropped, and laden with droplets of water. He could smell rain.  
  
Presently it became clear that rain was not the only thing he could smell. This mist thickened and rose, obscuring the view. The sound of another wolf's paws reached him, a soft whisper across the snow. He froze, listening intently and poised to ward off attack. This was unnecessary, however, as it became very clear his companion was making no attempt to stay hidden. The strange wolf threw back it's head and howled, the long, mournful, silvery notes hung in the thick air for a split second before dissipating.  
  
The noise came from in front of him, a little way off and up the slope. The howl stopped, and for a second the mist cleared, revealing the figure. The wolf was lean and slender, sable from head to toe. It's green eyes were clear and piercing, and for a moment both minds touched. The brown wolf stepped forward now, he was burningly curious about this new stranger, the one who could touch his mind. He hardly put his paw back down, however, when a breeze picked up from no where, and the mist swirled back thickly into place, and the figure was gone. He called for them, and again, but there was no answer. 


	2. Chapter Two Nameless

Heya guys ^^. Sorry this chapter took so long, I've been caught up with a lotta stuff at home at the moment. Thanks to my editor Ray, and all my prereaders, u're all stars ^^.  
  
Rnr please (  
  
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Chapter Two Nameless  
  
Ami Ried sat quietly outside one of the offices at Nerv. Her long brown hair surrounded a calm face, her eyes hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. The calmness was only superficial, however, as the sounds of raised voices reached her from beyond the closed door. She felt sick, worried that this was turning out to be exactly what she had been dreading - and exactly what her superiors had hoped it would not. It was obvious, to her at least, that the argument was about her. This was only an assumption though, the voices were muffled behind the door and her actual name wasn't mentioned to her hearing. She thought it was most likely that not quite everyone agreed with her sudden arrival. It did mean she had had little or no chance to meet the people she would be working so closely with. And it also meant there was only a small chance they had been fully informed of the... details.  
  
She hadn't been at Nerv long, and had never seen the inside of the Japanese branch of the base. It seemed more up to date than the German one, more sterile somehow. After her arrival she had been escorted straight here, to sit outside this room. It might be that its occupants did not know that she was even out here. Her bag was set at her feet; the rest of her things had been boxed and already sent to her new apartment. Wherever that might be.  
  
After a moment, she got up and paced a little way to sooth the growing numbness in her legs; her long coat obscured her slight figure, and her jeans dragged along the floor. She didn't seem any older than 15.  
  
Just as she started to walk back up the corridor, the voices died down and she paused a little way up the walkway, the bottom of her coat swirling around her ankles. She took a step forward as the door opened. The figure that stepped out stood for a moment contemplating her presence. "I'm sorry for the wait," the blonde figure started, after a brief pause, "we've not had all too long to prepare for your arrival." Ami nodded absently. The figure moved out of the doorway and stood to one side, revealing another person stood behind her. "I'm Doctor Akagi, and this," She gestured to the figure glowering next to her, "This is Major Katsuragi." This woman was slightly taller, with dark hair and a face like thunder.  
  
Ami stepped back across to shake the hand that was offered to her. "I'm sorry that my superiors did not inform you of my arrival earlier," She told Akagi quietly, "I myself was not told very long ago. It is a big shock; it's so different here."  
  
"Yes, I suppose it is... Well, your Eva hasn't arrived yet, so I can't see why there's any reason to keep you here. Major Katsuragi will drive you to your apartment, and we'll call if we need you."  
  
***  
  
Misato Katsuragi shut the door of her car and began to make her way back to Nerv HQ. Her driving reflected on her mood, she was angry and it showed. It had not been a good day. The command at Nerv had only seen fit to tell her they were receiving a new pilot this morning, when her shift first started. They had told her that the arrival had been on short notice anyway, but she was of the belief the whole thing had been kept a secret from her from the very start. But even this morning not all of the vital information had been disclosed; Ritsuko had only just told her on a split second decision from command. Even now Misato wondered if they were still holding something back, and considering her now direct involvement with the girl, she worried that this was not a good thing.  
  
The stupidity of those commanding her seemed to be growing, in her estimation. They did not seem to be learning from their mistakes... once again they were accepting a pilot from Seele. She doubted anyone would ever forget the consequences that had come about last time they had gambled that risk. And this time the old men had already admitted that her genetic structure, as Ritsuko had put it, could be a real threat to Nerv. There had been rumours today, once the arrival had been publicly announced; someone who knew someone who knew someone that said they'd seen this that or the other, but Misato had listened and dismissed them off as gossip. Her dismissal seemed a little premature now though, Ritsuko had just confirmed most of these rumours in one fell swoop. Misato wondered how many more of them were true.  
  
When she stopped as the lights turned red, she looked across at the people walking up and down the street and wondered what their reactions would have been if they had just received the same kind of news she had. The respite was brief, however, and as soon as the lights changed she was roaring up the road again.  
  
It turned out this new pilot was a genetic experiment - part human and part Angel. Supposedly this would increase the synch ratio and reduce the risk to the pilot herself whilst she was inside the Eva. Ritsuko had been quick to list the good points of this system. But an Angel was still an Angel, whether wrapped in human clothing or not. The fact that it was Seele who sent the girl did little to calm her fears; another pilot meant they could exert a little more control over Nerv's operations, and would probably mean they would have to be careful of having a spy in their midst. She was assured that the girl was totally safe, and a whole list of reasons why were hiding somewhere in the system for her too, but still, this girl would have a lot to prove before Misato was entirely pleased with her presence at Nerv.  
  
***  
  
Ritsuko Akagi sighed as she watched the pair leave and rubbed the back of her neck. Her shift had ended hours ago but the new arrival had kept her busy. Ikari expected her to stay; she had to make up for earlier mistakes and someone had to take care of both the official and unofficial business that followed in the new pilot's wake.  
  
She sighed again as she re-entered her office and slumped in her chair. She picked up one of the nearby coffee mugs automatically and took a mouthful, which she instantly regretted as she grimaced and put the mug back down.  
  
It was obvious that convincing her friend to take a more active role in helping the girl to settle would be a lot harder than she has first suspected. Ritsuko had not calculated she would be quite so distrustful; the incident with Kouru had obviously affected her more than Ritsuko had first realised. Maybe it was true; maybe she was becoming insensitive to these things.  
  
She surveyed her desk, slightly troubled. It was covered almost beyond recognition with sheets of printed paper and various cat related objects. The top sheet of every pile of paper would be covered in brown rosettes from where she's placed mugs of coffee, some with the half full mug still on top. It was proving quite hard to convince Ikari that he did still need her around the base, increasingly of late. She knew that soon she would run out of excuses, of petty jobs and hauling her weight on overtime, and then it would be time for his decision. If he decided that she hadn't made up for the blow she had dealt to his precious scenario then she knew he could full well make her disappear. She didn't want that.  
  
Thinking of halfway decent reason for Nerv to be taking on such a big risk with this pilot had been hard... which on hindsight was probably why Ikari had asked her to do it in the first place. This was another use he did have for her, manipulating her friend. He was obviously incapable of doing it for himself - Misato did have a tendency to stick her nose in too far sometimes. Even now the Major was not convinced about the pilot, but then, she wasn't as stupid as was sometimes implied. Nerv was under more threat from Seele than Misato knew; they'd never survive an all out attack, especially if Seele decided to pull out all of the stops. This, she knew, was the only way the Old Men had convinced Ikari to take the pilot on.  
  
The computer screen was flickering, but looking at it for more than a few moments to type after so long hurt her eyes. After a while she gave up and sat back.  
  
During their very brief meeting this morning, the girl had seemed normal enough, if a little quiet. Nothing of the revelation in her genetic makeup was visibly obvious, which was something. Ritsuko wondered how many tries were needed to create something like that. In some way she pitied the girl. No wonder she was quiet, she would have to face up to the prejudice and judgment that found her here. The higher command would watch everything she did like a hawk, and the security around her would be doubled. If even a sniff of her real origin reached the general public, well it didn't bear thinking about.  
  
Ritsuko sighed and stretched. She'd cross that bridge when she came to it, and right now she needed some coffee.  
  
***  
  
Ami lay sprawled on her bed in her new apartment. The light was filtering in through the window, but all it did was add a new layer of drabness, another dimension of grey. The place really was dreary, it had been abandoned by it's previous owners when the Angels had first started attacking the city, and had been looking for a new one ever since.  
  
It consisted of one large room containing a kitchen area, a bed and a small space all on it's own, and a small room, containing a bathroom and a shower. The place really was grey though. Once it was white, but gathering dust had discoloured the walls. A pile of boxes sat the space in the corner. She hadn't unpacked yet. In fact, other than to let the rather large dog out of it's travelling cage, she hadn't touched the boxes from where they sat at all. The said dog was lying curled up at the end of the bed by her feet.  
  
It had been a rather trying day. Moving always was, for anybody. It's always hard for a human to up and leave, not counting special circumstances such as a death in the family, etc, etc, etc. however, moving families do tend to choose where they move to, somewhere where they can enjoy the scenery, perhaps, or be nearer to other members of their family group. It's much harder to be forced to move away, to be sent away, to a place with unfamiliar surroundings and full of unfamiliar people.  
  
The people at Nerv had hardly welcomed her with open arms either. None of them had been pleased to see her. In fact, the woman who had driven her back to this place had practically ignored her the whole time. It made her wonder just what sort of thing they'd been told about her to make them worry so much. The commander had the reputation of a formidable man, tall, dark, and gruff; whether or not this was true would have to wait for another day. He didn't have the time to meet with her. He was probably busy arranging transport for her Eva, she decided.  
  
Kira stirred by her feet and changed position. That was another thing; the guy who delivered the boxes to her apartment hadn't had the good sense to let the dog out. He was tired and cranky, especially after being cooped up for so long. Unfortunately he was still partially sedated, and standing seemed to be somewhat of a feat, let alone managing to walk in a straight line. Not that his mistress seemed to be in any hurry to offer to take him out anytime soon. She would rather just lie there and stare at something on the ceiling. A bug perhaps? Maybe if he moved a little closer she would scratch his ears for him... no, the effort was perhaps not worth the reward at the time, and he decided against trying to move out of his lethargy. Much easier just to lie for a while...  
  
Presently he was disturbed as Ami left the bed to get something to drink. The light was fading and she realised that there was nothing to eat in the place. She sighed; it was just like everything else that day, wrong. She hoped it wouldn't last.  
  
***  
  
Shinji sat and watched the sunset from the very spot where Misato had first shown him the city. Truly it was a wonderful sight, as the windows from hundreds of buildings caught the light from the last rays of the sun, and sparkled red and gold. The beauty of it all, however, was almost lost on him. He hardly saw the spectacle that was taking place in front of his eyes. All he could think about was how much he wished that Asuka or Kouru were here to share it with him. The sense of loss that had filled his heart for the last weeks had hardly dimmed since the day when he lost Kouru. Earlier in the week Misato had mentioned something of a new pilot. It didn't bother him anymore. In his mind, no one could replace the old ones.  
  
Rei was hardly to be seen these days, not that he felt he could face up to her anyway. Ritsuko had torn apart any hopes there may have been of them forming a relationship. It seemed like such a long time ago, when in reality it couldn't have been more than a couple of months. So much had happened then... and now it had stopped. Ground to a halt when things most needed to change.  
  
The sun disappeared behind the buildings and night crept over the horizon. The first tinges of black and purple had spread across the sky. With them came a breeze, to tug at the edges of clothes and ruffle the hair. The stars were coming out, small points of brilliance across the sky. Shinji lay back to stare at them, remembering the time when all three of them had come up here to watch them. He lay there for some time, dreaming of better days.  
  
***  
  
The supreme commander of Nerv was not a happy man. He paced up and down a small length of his office by the window, his face set in an impenetrable mask, which showed nothing of what he was feeling. This was something that bordered on despair. Strong man that he was, today he saw Seele deal him and Nerv a harsh blow... and the events he wished to achieve on his personal agenda were slowly slipping from his grasp. The old men had managed, by form of intimidation and threats of a physical takeover of Nerv, to place what was effectively a spy in their midst. He remembered as well as any other the events that had taken place last time Nerv had made that mistake. He would have to keep a careful eye on her, but even that was treading thin ice, lest she find cause to complain about it. It was all very complicated, and it was complications that he did not need. 


End file.
